Hair curl holding clip



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HAIR CURL HOLDING CLIP Filed Feb. 14, 1951 M Fig.5-

. INVENTOR Roy ANDREW M Patented Jan. 5, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE HAIR CURL HOLDING CLIP Roy Andrew Smith, New York, N. Y.,assignor, by mesne assignments, to Feathercombs, Inc., a.

corporation of New York My invention relates to improvements in haircurl holding devices and more particularly relates to an improved clipfor holding a curl in flattened relation to the head. In forming curlsand in setting the hair in the form of waves, it is customary to form aportion of the hair into a relatively tight circular curl or flat pincurl, which then is set by holding the curl in position and shapeovernight or by application of permanent waving solutions. Conventionaldevices for holding the curl in flat position are subject to a number ofwell-known difficulties and disadvantages which have prompted manyproposals to remedy them. Nevertheless, the ordinary bobby pin is stillthe most widely used holding device. The bobby pin, however, requiresextreme manual dexterity or dangerous use of the teeth inself-application since the formation of the curl requires the use of onehand. Care must be exercised in inserting the bobby pin because the flatnarrow prongs may dig into the scalp. In addition, its snap springtension which largely concentrates the pressure at a localized pointcombined with the narrow overlapping form of its holding prongs tends tokink the curl and mar the appearance of the resulting wave when the curlis brushed out. Indeed the kinking action may actually break individualhairs which is harmful in itself but further aggravated if awave-setting solution is employed.

The overlapping holding members of a bobby pin must be in tight springtensioned engagement in order to secure the smaller thinner curls andare therefore too tight for bulkier curls. No controllable adjustment ofthe spring tension is practical. Once the pin is opened or relieved oftension to accommodate a bulkier curl, it cannot be retightened to holdthinner curls. Thus, a basic difiiculty with the bobby pin is that itsentire holding capacity depends upon pre-set spring tension produced bypinching the two holding members together over a wire form so that theyare left in coincident and touching relationship joined at one end by aspring arch. Once the pin is opened too wide by excessive force in theeffort to open it or to engage too large a curl, the pin is sprung andall spring tension is lost. The bobby pin then has become useless as apractical article since the average user has neither the patience northe skill and appropriate equipment to restore the spring tension. Thusdespite low manufacturing cost, the actual cost in terms of useful lifeis relatively high and the use of bobby pins is accompanied with theannoyance of frequently having to discard sprung pins.

I have devised a curl holding clip which is easy to slip on with onehand, which holds the curl lightly but firmly and which retains the hairin tightly curled position by providing contact at all points of thecenter, and which is adapted to easy adjustment of the spring tension.The new curl holding clip essentially comprises three elongated holdingmembers which are spring arch connected at one end. The three holdersare constructed of a light strong resilient material such as plastic,sprin steel wire or fiat stock. Two of the holding members arepositioned in a common plane in spring tensioned relationship above thethird member. The third member functions as a guide and lever member andis of greater length than the two upper members. It is located below andbetween the upper members so that the disposition of the two uppermembers in relation to the third guide member is such that the structureis characterized by sufiiciently offset relationship that the springtension providing the clip with holding capacity is freely adjustable bymovement of the end portion of the guide member between the spacebetween the two upper members. Thus if the clip is sprung by opening ittoo wide, spring tension may be readily restored by bending the guideportion far enough upward to compensate for the over extension. Thus oneof the major defects or hobby pins and other conventional overlappingclips is eliminated in a simple and economical manner of constructionwhile a clip of improved holding capacities and easier application isprovided. Moreover, the sprin tension can be modified or adjusted in thecourse of application to suit the size of particular curls.

The various figures of the accompanying drawing illustrate a number offorms of the new curl holder clip.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a curl holder clip according to my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the clip illustrated in Figure 1.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are plan views of three diiferent curl holding clipsof my invention illustrating various modifications thereof.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a sheet metal stamping illustrating thepreliminary formation of a simple clip according to my invention.

Figure 7 is a plan view and Figure 8 is a side elevation of the finishedclip formed from the stamping illustrated in Figure 6.

Figures 9 and 10 are plan views of two difierent curl holding clipsaccording to my invention illustrating various modifications thereofwhich are advantageously manufactured from a sheet metal stampingsimilar to that illustrated in Figure 6.

Figures 1 and 2 represent my invention in perhaps its simplest form. Theclip illustrated is formed of relatively thin spring steel wire, e. g.about 0.03 to 0.05 inch thickness. The strand of wire is bent once toform elongated guide member l0 providing smoothly rounded tip I I. Guidemember 10 is thus formed of a contiguous double wire thickness along itsentire length. A pair of spring arches 2 at the closed end of the clipis formed around an appropriate rod or fixture and the pair of upperholding members l3 and I4 is formed by extending the wire forwardly inap proximately parallel but offset relationship to guide member In andin spring tensioned relationship to it.

Figure 3 represents a modification of the clip oi Figure 1 in whichupper members [3 and H have been shaped in a broad loop to form wingmembers l and H5 in the same plane as upper members l3 and [4, thusincreasing the distribution of holding points over the upper surface ofthe curl. Figure 4 represents a variation on the type modificationillustrated in Figure 3. In the clip illustrated upper holding members[3 and M are bent back internally of themselves to provide additionalholding pieces I! and 18, in a manner which has special value inproviding control of the loose ends which are inherently concentrated atthe center of the pin curl without covering the curl with anyunnecessary bulk of material to prevent saturation or drying. Figure 5illustrates a variation in the form of the upper holding pieces 19 andwhich as shown have been twisted into wave form to increase thedistribution of holding points.

Figure 6 illustrates manufacture of the new clip from light weight metalflat stock and shows the basic form as stamped out of the metal sheet.In manufacture, upper members 3| and 32 are bent over and astride lowerguide member in spring tensioned relationship to it by creating a springarch at the junction of the three members. The finished article isillustrated in Figures 7 and. 8 which show the clip in plan view andside elevation view respectively. Broader members modified by slittingor perforating may be provided if desired. It will be noted that thelower guide member 30 advantageously is curved slightly to follow thecontour of the head and is provided with a downwardly curving tip 33which provides an opened mouth or receptive space in conjunction withthe upturned tips 34 of upper members 3| and 32 for easy application tothe curl. Figures 9 and 10 also illustrate variations in the form of theupper holding members which are representative of the number ofvariations and design possibilities.

If a clip or" particularly firm but evenly distributed holdingcapacities is desired, the special holding device described in myco-pending application Serial No. 210,973, filed February 14, 1951, nowU. 5. Patent 2,601,861, may be employed. In this clip, each of the threeholding members is characterized by loop form construction with thethree members in offset relationship to each other for maximumdistribution of holding points and with the lower guide member elongatedand shaped to provide helpful leverage in applying the device to thecurl with one hand while holding the curl in position with the other.

Thus my invention provides in a hair curl holding clip construction anddisposition of holding members that permit easy application to the curlcombined with widely adjustable spring tension. The clips of myinvention are characterized by the use of three holding members in whichthe third member acts as the lower guide member and in which the twoupper members are sufliciently offset so that the third member is freelymovable in a vertical plane between the two upper members. In this waythe user of the clip can adjust the spring tension without fear ofspringing the clip or can tighten the spring tension at will or tocompensate for loss of spring tension in opening. The disposition of thethree holding members in onset relationship also provides for aplurality of distributed holding points contributing to lightness butfirmness of clasp upon the curl. The clip is not easily disengaged fromthe curl by accident and yet the clip is comfortable to apply and wearovernight because of the absence of hinges, springs, locking devices andthe like. Also the clip when constructed of metal is readily susceptibleto protection by coating with alkali and acidresistant paints andvarnishes by dipping or spraying since there are no touching or movingparts and no internally located parts. This is an important practicaladvantage where lightness, durability and resiliency of constructionrequire the use of spring metal in the manufacture of hair holdingdevices. The necessary spring metal cannot be used with wave settingsolutions without corrosion, unsightly stains or disturbingdiscoloration of the hair in use. Conventional clips which depend forholding action upon spring engaged touching elements or rotating ortwisting hinge elements cannot be coated for practical purposes with apaint or varnish and therefore are unsuitable for use with wave-settingsolutions. Consequently, my curl holding clip is perfectly adapted touse by professional wavesetters or for use with home permanent wavingkits.

I claim:

A curl holding clip of strong, light resilient construction whichcomprises a single strand of wire made of a light strong resilientmaterial bent double to form an elongated guide member having a smoothlyrounded tip and contiguous double wire thickness along the entire lengthof the guide member, the ends of the wire extending from the guidemember being bent to form a pair of spring arches and being extendedback along the guide member to form a pair of holding members shorterthan the guide member in approximately parallel, spring tensioned but01?- set relationship to the guide member, each end of the wire beingfurther shaped in a broad loop to form a wing member in the same planeas the holding members and thereby increase the distribution of holdingpoints of the holding members, the clip being further characterized bysufiiciently off-set disposition of the two holding members in relationto the guide member that the spring tension is freely adjustable bymovement of the end portion of the guide member through the spacebetween the two holding members.

ROY ANDREW SMITH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,360,614 Berry et al Mari 30, 1920 2,031,483 Interraute Feb.18, 1936 2,091,922 Hamalaiuen Aug. 31, 1937 2,209,318 Caldwell July 30,1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 22,420 Great Britain Nov. 23,1893

